A's walk all over Hanson, Angels

OAKLAND Walks are maddening for any pitcher, but never more so than with a big lead.

“You get a five-run lead after two and you start walking guys? That's not the way you draw it up,” Tommy Hanson lamented after he frittered away the lead in the Angels' 10-6 loss to the Oakland A's on Sunday.

“I just had a tough time finding my release point.”

Hanson had an encouraging performance in his previous start, when he had his best velocity in an Angels uniform, hitting 94 mph. He also had good control, issuing no walks in a 5
1/3-inning outing against the Minnesota Twins.

On Sunday, Hanson wasn't throwing quite as hard, but through two innings he had three strikeouts and he had not allowed a hit, sailing with a 5-0 lead. In the third, though, he walked three and gave up three runs. Two more scored in the fifth, and he left with the score tied.

“The ball was coming out of my hand good, just was a little spotty,” Hanson said. “You've got to make adjustments on the fly, and I wasn't able to do that today.”

Things didn't get any better after Hanson was out of the game. J.C. Gutierrez, in his third game in four days since the Angels added him to the roster, gave up four runs and recorded only two outs. Kevin Jepsen, pitching for the third day in a row, allowed the first three hitters he faced to reach base and was charged with a run.

SUN TROUBLES

The A's took over the game with two runs in the fifth and five in the sixth, and both innings included catchable balls falling in center field because Mike Trout had trouble with the sun.

“It's tough to pick up balls off the bat here in general,” Trout said.

In the fifth, Yoenis Cespedes hit a ball into right center. Trout said he lost the ball and got a late jump and it fell between him and right fielder Kole Calhoun. In the sixth, Stephen Vogt hit one to left-center. Trout said he lost the ball and then had a miscommunication with left fielder Josh Hamilton. The ball dropped and then rolled past them.

Calhoun, who was recalled to take Albert Pujols' roster spot, said the improvement that led to his promotion was sparked by the broken hand that cost him the first six weeks of the season.

Calhoun was hit in the hand by a pitch on opening day at Triple-A Salt Lake City. He had to have surgery to have the broken hamate bone removed.

“After I had the surgery on my hand it kind of changed my whole approach really,” Calhoun said. “There were certain swings I'd take that hurt and I had to figure out how to cope with that and I had to learn myself all over again. I had to shorten a lot of things up to not be in pain.”

Calhoun struck out exactly twice as many times as he walked in 2012 at Triple-A, but this season at Salt Lake City he had walked and struck out 32 times apiece. He hit .354. In his last 11 games at Triple-A, Calhoun hit .511, including a three-homer game.

“I think he's swinging the bat as well as he ever has in his life right now,” Manager Mike Scioscia said. “It's great timing to have him come up and maybe see if he can find a role on our club.”

Calhoun was in the Angels lineup, playing right field and batting eighth. Calhoun is more comfortable in right than left, so when he plays Hamilton will move to left.

“Josh said he's fine bouncing around,” Scioscia said.

“The vast majority of players like to get in one spot and stay there, but Josh has talked to us and said he's fine moving around and even enjoys it.”

NOTES

Erick Aybar drew two walks, his first multi-walk game since Sept. 3, 2011. Aybar has drawn five walks in the past eight games, after walking just eight times in his first 73 games. …

Howie Kendrick snapped an 0-for-21 streak with runners in scoring position when he singled to drive in a run in the first inning. It was his first hit with a runner in scoring position since June 25. He also made two spectacular plays, diving to his left to snag a ground ball in the fifth and leaping for a line drive in the seventh. …

Mark Trumbo had his fifth multi-hit game out of the past seven. He's hitting .458 in that span. …

Joe Blanton has pitched three scoreless innings in his first two relief outings after being removed from the rotation. …

Billy Buckner, who was designated for assignment to make room for Gutierrez, cleared waivers and accepted an assignment back to Salt Lake City.

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